Methods and systems for manufacturing semiconductor devices

ABSTRACT

A thermocompression bonding (TCB) apparatus can include a wall having a height measured in a first direction and configured to be positioned between a first pressing surface and a second pressing surface of a semiconductor bonding apparatus. The apparatus can include a cavity at least partially surrounded by the wall, the cavity sized to receive a semiconductor substrate and a stack of semiconductor dies positioned between the semiconductor substrate and the first pressing surface, the stack of semiconductor dies and semiconductor substrate having a combined unpressed stack height as measured in the first direction. In some embodiments, the unpressed stack height is greater than the height of the wall, and the wall is configured to be contacted by the first pressing surface to limit movement of the first pressing surface toward the second pressing surface during a semiconductor bonding process.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology generally relates to semiconductor devices, andmore particularly relates to methods and systems for manufacturingsemiconductor devices.

BACKGROUND

Packaged semiconductor dies, including memory chips, microprocessorchips, and imager chips, typically include a semiconductor die mountedon a substrate and encased in a protective covering. The semiconductordie includes functional features, such as memory cells, processorcircuits, and imager devices, as well as bond pads electricallyconnected to the functional features. The bond pads can be electricallyconnected to terminals outside the protective covering to allow thesemiconductor die to be connected to higher level circuitry. Within somepackages, semiconductor dies can be stacked upon and electricallyconnected to one another by individual interconnects between adjacentsemiconductor dies. In such packages, each interconnect can include aconductive material (e.g., solder) and a pair of contacts on opposingsurfaces of adjacent semiconductor dies. For example, a metal solder canbe placed between the contacts and reflowed to form a conductive joint.Conventional processes, however, can cause the solder connections tomalfunction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present technology can be better understood withreference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings arenot necessarily to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed on illustratingclearly the principles of the present technology.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of asemiconductor bonding apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of asemiconductor die assembly positioned between two stages of asemiconductor bonding apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the semiconductor die assemblyand semiconductor bonding apparatus of FIG. 2, wherein the die stacksare compressed between the two stages of the semiconductor bondingapparatus.

FIG. 4 is a side close up cross-sectional view of the TSVs and solderconnections of a semiconductor die assembly without a stopper.

FIG. 5 is a side close up cross-sectional view of the TSVs and solderconnections of a semiconductor die assembly having a stopper.

FIGS. 6-10 are top plan views of various embodiments of semiconductordie assemblies.

FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of another embodiment of asemiconductor die assembly positioned between two stages of asemiconductor bonding apparatus.

FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of the semiconductor die assemblyand semiconductor bonding apparatus of FIG. 11, wherein the die stacksare compressed between the two stages of the semiconductor bondingapparatus.

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a semiconductor dieassembly.

FIG. 14 is a side cross-sectional view of another embodiment of asemiconductor die assembly positioned between two stages of asemiconductor bonding apparatus.

FIG. 15 is a side cross-sectional view of the semiconductor die assemblyand semiconductor bonding apparatus of FIG. 14, wherein the die stacksare compressed between the two stages of the semiconductor bondingapparatus.

FIG. 16 is a side cross-sectional view of another embodiment of asemiconductor die assembly positioned between two stages of asemiconductor bonding apparatus.

FIG. 17 is a side cross-sectional view of the semiconductor die assemblyand semiconductor bonding apparatus of FIG. 16, wherein the die stacksare compressed between the two stages of the semiconductor bondingapparatus.

FIG. 18 is a schematic view of a system that includes a semiconductordevice configured in accordance with embodiments of the presenttechnology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One challenge with conventional semiconductor packages is controllingthe compression of the die stacks during manufacturing. Often, all or aportion of a die stack is over-pressed during manufacture. Over-pressingof the die stacks can lead to various problems, including depletion ofsolder between pair of contacts, leakage of non-conductive film from theperimeter of the stacks, and undesired electrical shorting via leakedsolder from adjacent pairs of contacts.

Specific details of several embodiments of semiconductor devices havingspacer structures (e.g., stoppers) or other thermocompression bonding(TCB) apparatuses for limiting compression of solder or other bondmaterial during a TCB operation or other die-stacking operation, andassociated systems and methods, are described below. The structures andprocesses disclosed herein can also apply to other compression bondingmethods in addition to TCB. A person skilled in the relevant art willrecognize that suitable stages of the methods described herein can beperformed at the wafer level or at the die level. Therefore, dependingupon the context in which it is used, the term “substrate” can refer toa wafer-level substrate or to a singulated, die-level substrate.Furthermore, unless the context indicates otherwise, structuresdisclosed herein can be formed using conventionalsemiconductor-manufacturing techniques. Materials can be deposited, forexample, using chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition,atomic layer deposition, spin coating, and/or other suitable techniques.Similarly, materials can be removed, for example, using plasma etching,wet etching, chemical-mechanical planarization, or other suitabletechniques. A person skilled in the relevant art will also understandthat the technology may have additional embodiments, and that thetechnology may be practiced without several of the details of theembodiments described below with reference to FIGS. 1-18.

In several of the embodiments described below, a semiconductormanufacturing system includes a first press-stage having a firstpressing surface, a second press-stage having a second pressing surfacefacing the first pressing surface, and a stopper (e.g., a TCB apparatus)positioned between the first press-stage and the second press-stage. Thestopper can include at least one internal cavity. As illustrated in thevarious embodiments herein, a semiconductor substrate can be positionedbetween the first press-stage and the second press-stage, and a firststack of semiconductor dies can be connected to the semiconductorsubstrate. The first stack of semiconductor dies can be positioned atleast partially within the internal cavity of the stopper between thesemiconductor substrate and the first press-stage.

In some embodiments, the stopper is configured to limit movement of thefirst and second pressing surfaces toward each other thereby controllingcompression of the first stack of the semiconductor to a desiredthickness. Limiting the compression of the stack of semiconductor diesto a desired thickness can reduce the likelihood of squeezing excesssolder or other bonding material out from the solder joint. Limitingcompression can also reduce filleting of non-conductive film (NCF) orother material between the individual dies in the stack. These and otheradvantages of using the stopper can increase the yield of the TCBprocess by enhancing the speed and reliability of manufacturinghundreds, or even thousands, of die packages in a single stage.

As used herein, the terms “vertical,” “lateral,” “upper,” and “lower”can refer to relative directions or positions of features in thesemiconductor devices in view of the orientation shown in the Figures.For example, “upper” or “uppermost” can refer to a feature positionedcloser to the top of a page than another feature. These terms, however,should be construed broadly to include semiconductor devices havingother orientations, such as inverted or inclined orientations wheretop/bottom, over/under, above/below, up/down, and left/right can beinterchanged depending on the orientation. The headings provided hereinare for convenience only and should not be construed as limiting thesubject matter disclosed.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturing system100. As illustrated, the manufacturing system 100 can include an upper(e.g., first) press-stage 102 and a lower (e.g., second) press-stage104. The upper press-stage 102 can include a first pressing surface 106facing the second press-stage 104. Similarly, the lower press-stage 104can include a second pressing surface 108 facing the upper press-stage102. In some embodiments, at least one of the first and secondpress-stages 102, 104 are positioned within a cavity of a bondingapparatus. In some embodiments, the first and second press-stages 102,104 have substantially equal cross-sectional areas as measured parallelto the first pressing surface 106.

The system 100 can include a stopper 110 between the two press-stages102, 104. The stopper 110 can include a first side 112 and a second side114 opposite the first side 112. In the illustrated embodiments, thefirst side 112 of the stopper 110 contacts the second press-stage 104(e.g., the second pressing surface 108 of the second press-stage 104).The opposite arrangement, wherein the second surface 114 contacts thesecond press-stage 104, may also be employed.

At least one of the first and second sides 112, 114 of the stopper 110can be planar. In some embodiments, at least one of the first and secondsides 112, 114 includes one or more indentations, holes, undulations,ribs, channels, protrusions, and/or other surface features. Preferably,the first and second sides 112, 114 are sized and shaped such that aplanar rigid structure will rest in a horizontal plane when the planarrigid structure is set upon the stopper 110 and the stopper 110 is setupon a horizontal surface.

The stopper 110 can have a height (e.g., a max height) H1 as measuredfrom and normal to the second pressing surface 108 when the stopper 110is on the second pressing surface 108. As illustrated, the stopper 110includes at least one internal cavity 116. The internal cavity 116 canextend through the height H1 of the stopper 110. In some embodiments, asexplained below, the stopper 110 includes a plurality of cavities 116.

In some embodiments, the stopper 110 can be constructed from a rigid,semi-rigid, and/or resilient material. Preferably, the stopper 110 isconstructed from a material configured to withstand high temperaturegradients often used in a TCB operation. One such material can besilicon. For example, a silicon wafer may be cut to the desired heightand width, with the desired cavity or cavities cut through the wafer.Other materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors,and/or other materials or combinations of materials may be used toconstruct the stopper 110.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a semiconductor assembly 120 can be positionedwithin the cavity 116 of the stopper 110. The semiconductor assembly 120includes a substrate 122. Preferably, the cavity 116 is sized and shapedsuch that the substrate 122 is inhibited or prevented from moving in adirection perpendicular to the height H1 of the stopper 110 when thesubstrate 122 is positioned within the cavity 116. For example, thecavity 116 can have substantially the same cross-sectional area as thesubstrate 122 when measured in a plane perpendicular to the height H1 ofthe stopper 110. In some embodiments, the cavity 116 has substantiallythe same cross-section as a plurality of substrates 122 to be positionedwithin the cavity 116 at the same time. Inhibiting or preventing thesubstrate 122 from moving laterally (e.g., perpendicular to the heightH1 of the stopper 110) can increase the reliability of the manufacturingprocess and reduce the likelihood of manufacturing errors due tomisalignment or movement of the semiconductor assemblies 120.

The substrate 122 can have a first surface 124 and a second surface 126opposite the surface 122. Preferably, at least one of the first andsecond surfaces 124, 126 of the substrate 122 are planar. In theillustrated embodiments, all or portions of each of the first and secondsurfaces 124, 126 of the substrate 122 are parallel to each other.

One or more die stacks may be positioned on the substrate 122. In theillustrated example, a first die stack 130 a, a second die stack 130 b,and a third die stack 130 c (collectively, “die stacks 130”) are eachpositioned on the first surface 124 of the substrate 122. Each die stack130 can include dies 132 stacked on each other and attached together byan adhesive 133 (FIG. 4). The adhesive 133 is between the individualdies 132 and the lowest die 132 and the substrate 122. The adhesive 133,for example, can be an uncured or partially cured underfill material.The die stacks 130 can have an initial (e.g., pre-pressed) height H2 asmeasured from and normal to the second pressing surface 108 when thesubstrate 122 is positioned on the second pressing surface 108. In someembodiments, the initial height H2 of each individual die stack 130 mayvary. The initial heights H2 of the die stacks 130 are generally greaterthan the height H1 of the stopper 110. Although, in some embodiments,some of the die stacks 130 may have a height H2 equal to or less thanthe height H1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the manufacturing system 100 and semiconductorassembly 120 after a TCB operation. As illustrated, the firstpress-stage 102 is moved toward the second press-stage 104 until thefirst pressing surface 106 contacts the stopper 110. Moving the firstpress-stage 102 into contact with the stopper 110 compresses the diestacks 130 to a desired (e.g., compressed) height H3 with respect to thesecond pressing surface 108 that securely fixes the dies 132 andsubstrate 122 together. As illustrated, the compressed height H3 of thedie stacks 130 is substantially equal to the height of the stopper 110.

The stopper 110 is expected to provide controlled compression of the diestacks 130 wherein the level of compression, as reflected in thecontrolled compressed height H3, is limited to reduce or eliminateover-compression of the die stacks 130. Avoiding over-compression of thedie stacks 130 can result in improvement to the overall semiconductormanufacturing process, as some known manufacturing defects can bereduced or eliminated. Additionally, the stopper is expected to enablefaster compression times and thereby increase the throughput ofmanufacturing packaged semiconductor devices.

FIG. 4 illustrates one such manufacturing defect that can occur in theabsence of a stopper. More specifically, FIG. 4 illustrates a portion ofa die stack 130 that has been compressed via a TCB operation without astopper. The illustrated die stack 130 includes a first semiconductordie 132 a, a second semiconductor die 132 b adjacent to (e.g., stackedover) the first semiconductor die 102 a, and a third semiconductor die132 c adjacent to (e.g., stacked over) the second semiconductor die 132b. The semiconductor dies (collectively semiconductor dies 132) eachinclude a first (e.g., upper) surface 134 and a second (e.g., lower)surface 136 opposite the first surface 134. The die stack 130 alsoincludes an array of individual interconnects 140 extending verticallybetween the first surface 134 of the first semiconductor die 132 a andthe second surface 136 of the second semiconductor die 132 b. One ormore of the individual interconnects can include a first conductivefeature (e.g., a conductive pad 142) on end and a second conductivefeature (e.g., a conductive pillar 144) on a second end. In theillustrated embodiment, the interconnects 140 each include a conductivepad 142 on the first surface 134 of the first semiconductor die 132 a, aconductive pillar 144 on the second surface 136 of the secondsemiconductor die 132 b, a through silicon via (TSV) 145 extendingthrough the semiconductor material of the wafer 132 between theconductive pad 142 and the conductive pillar 144, and a bond material(e.g., solder, tin-silver, or other bond material) 146 bonding theconductive pillar 144 to the conductive pad 142. In some embodiments,the die stack 130 can include a smaller or greater number ofinterconnects 140 than shown in FIG. 4. For example, the die stack 130can include tens, hundreds, thousands, or more interconnects 140 arrayedbetween the semiconductor dies 132.

In some embodiments, the interconnects 140 have a total height orthickness of between about 20-35 μm. In certain embodiments, theconductive pillars 144 have a thickness of between about 10-30 μm (e.g.,about 18 μm) and the conductive pads 142 have a thickness of betweenabout 1-5 μm (e.g., about 4 μm).

In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 4, the individual semiconductordies 132 a, 132 b, 132 c are spaced apart from each other by gaps G1, G2that are generally filled by the adhesive 133. In some embodiments, thegaps G1, G2 between the semiconductor dies 132 are not uniform. Forexample, the gap G2 between the first and second semiconductor dies 132a, 132 b can be greater than or less than the gap G1 between the secondand third semiconductor dies 132 a, 132 b. The adhesive 133, which canbe a nonconductive film (NCF) 150, may be distributed in the gaps G1,G2. In some embodiments, the NCF 150 is used to pre-tack one or more ofthe semiconductor dies 132 to the substrate 122 and the remainingsemiconductor dies 132 to each other.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, TCB processing can result in over-compressionof the bond material 146 between the interconnects 140 without a stopper110. Such over-compression of the bond material 146 can lead tosqueezing too much of the bond material 146 from between the conductivepillars 144 and corresponding conductive pads 142 (e.g., known as“squeeze-out”). The squeezed-out material 146 in one interconnect canspread into contact with squeezed-out material 146 in another, adjacentinterconnect. Such contact can lead to undesirable electricalconnections, such as shorting, within the die stack 130. However, thesqueezed-out materials may not need to physically contact each other toimpair performance because in some embodiments merely being too close toeach other can create interference that impairs electrical operation ofa device. In some applications, over-compression of the die stack 130can also lead to undesirable filleting of the NCF 150 from between theindividual dies 132 and/or from between the die stack 130 and thesubstrate 122. Filleting of the NCF 150 can increase the footprint ofthe die stack 130 on the substrate 122 and reduce the number of diestacks 130 that may be manufactured on a given substrate 122.

FIG. 5 illustrates a semiconductor die stack 130 formed with a TCBoperation used with a stopper in accordance with the present technology.As illustrated, the bond material 146 is not over-compressed when astopper is used during the TCB operation. On the contrary, a sufficientportion of the bond material 146 remains between the correspondingconductive pillars 144 and conductive pads 142 with little or nosqueeze-out. The height of the bond material 146, as measured parallelto the gaps G3, G4, can be maintained at a minimum value of at least 1μm, at least 2 μm, at least 3 μm, at least 4 μm, at least 6 μm, and/orat least 8 μm (or any value between 1-8 μm, or 2 μm-6 μm, or 3 μm-5 μm).The gap G3 between the first and second semiconductor dies 132 a, 132 bof FIG. 5 is greater than either of the gaps G1, G2 between thesemiconductor dies 132 a, 132 b in FIG. 4. In some embodiments, the gapG4 between the second and third semiconductor dies 132 b, 132 c of FIG.5 is also greater than either of the gaps G1, G2 between thesemiconductor dies 132 a, 132 b in FIG. 4. In some embodiments, theheight H1 (FIG. 2) of the stopper 110 is selected to maintain a desiredaverage gap between the semiconductor dies 132 in a given semiconductordie stack 130. For example, the height H1 of the stopper 110 can beapproximately equal to the sum of the following: (a) the height of thestopper 122; (b) the cumulative height of the individual semiconductordies 132; and (c) the desired gap size multiplied by the number of gaps(e.g., one less than the number of semiconductor dies). In someapplications, the natural compression resistance of the bond material146 and/or the NCF 150 can help to maintain relative uniformity of thegaps between the semiconductor dies 132 when a stopper 110 is used.Maintaining desired gap widths between the semiconductor dies 132 andthe desired thicknesses for the bonding material 146 between theinterconnects of the semiconductor dies 132 allows for fewermanufacturing defects associated with bonding material squeeze-outand/or misalignment/tilting between the semiconductor dies 132. The lackof over-compression can also allow for fewer misalignments (e.g.,tilting) between the individual dies 132 in the die stacks 130.

FIGS. 6-10 illustrate various embodiments of semiconductor dieassemblies and semiconductor manufacturing assemblies. As illustrated,various semiconductor die assembly shapes and sizes may be employed withvarious stoppers. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the stopper 210may include two or more cavities 216 a, 216 b. The cavities 216 a, 216 bmay be the same size and/or shape. In some embodiments, the first cavity216 a has a larger or smaller cross-sectional area (e.g., the area shownin plan view in FIG. 6) than the second cavity 216 b. The cavities 216a, 216 b can be sized to receive first and second substrates 222 a, 222b, respectively. The substrates 222 a, 222 b can each be sized andshaped to have cross-sections substantially identical to thecross-sections of the cavities 216 a, 216 b.

In some embodiments, as illustrated, two or more substrates may bepositioned within a single cavity. For example, the second substrate 222b may, in fact, be two separate substrates (e.g., resulting in a thirdsubstrate 222 c identified by broken lines). The combinedcross-sectional shapes of the two or more substrates positioned in thesecond cavity 216 b may be substantially identical to thecross-sectional shape of the cavity 216 b. In some embodiments, asexplained above, the cross-sectional shapes (e.g., or combinedcross-sectional shapes) of the substrates 222 may be selected to inhibitor prevent rotation of the substrate 222 within a cavity 216, even ifthe respective cross-sectional shapes of the substrates and cavities arenot identical or substantially identical to each other. The overallouter shape of the stopper 210 can be circular (FIGS. 6-9), polygonal(FIG. 10), oval-shaped, and/or some combination thereof.

Each of the substrates 222 can be configured to accommodate one or moresemiconductor die stacks 230. The stacks 230 can be arranged in rowsand/or columns on each of the substrates 222. In some embodiments, eachof the substrates 222 can be configured to accommodate the same numberof die stacks 230. In some embodiments, at least one of the substrates222 is configured to accommodate a different number of stacks 230 ascompared to one or more other substrates 222.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a stopper 310 having more cavitiesthan the stopper 210 of FIG. 6 (e.g., four cavities 316 a, 316 b, 316 c,316 d). The cavities 316 of the stopper 310 can be smaller than thecavities 216 of the stopper 210. In some embodiments, the cavities 316of the stopper 310 are configured to accommodate smaller substrates 322a, 322 b, 322 c, 322 d than the substrates 222 used in the stopper 210.In some embodiments, the accumulative cross-sectional areas of thecavities 316 of the stopper 310 are approximately equal to theaccumulative cross-sectional areas of the cavities 216 of the stopper210. In some embodiments, the accumulative cross-sectional areas of thecavities 316 of the stopper 310 are greater than or less than theaccumulative cross-sectional areas of the cavities 216 of the stopper210. In some embodiments, the overall number of semiconductor die stacks330 configured to be positioned on the substrates 322 in FIG. 7 is equalto the overall number of semiconductor die stacks 230 configured to bepositioned on the substrates 222 in FIG. 6. In some embodiments, theoverall number of semiconductor die stacks 330 configured to bepositioned on the substrates 322 in FIG. 7 is greater than or less thanthe overall number of semiconductor die stacks 230 configured to bepositioned on the substrates 222 in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a stopper 410 having a single cavity416. The single cavity 416 may be larger than the cavities 216, 316described above. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of thecavity 416 is approximately the same as the accumulative cross-sectionalarea of the cavities 316 of the stopper 310. In some embodiments, thecross-sectional area of the cavity 416 is greater than or less than theaccumulative cross-sectional area of the cavities 316 of the stopper310. The single cavity 416 of the stopper 410 can be configured toreceive a single, large substrate 422 having at least one semiconductordie stack 430 thereon. In some embodiments, multiple substrates arepositioned within the cavity 416.

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of a stopper 510 that includes cavitiesof varying sizes and shapes. For example, a first cavity 516 a of thestopper 510 can have a lower aspect ratio, as observed from above, thana second cavity 516 b. In some embodiments, one or both of the first andsecond cavities 516 a, 516 b are smaller than a third cavity 516 c.

FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of a stopper 610 having a non-circularouter perimeter (e.g., overall shape). In the illustrated example, thestopper 610 has a rectangular outer perimeter. Other outer perimetershapes, including polygons, oval-shapes, circles, or some combinationthereof may be used. As illustrated, the cavities 616 a, 616 b, 616 c ofthe stopper 610 can be similar to or the same as the cavities 516 of thestopper 510. In some embodiments, the cavities 616 of the stopper 610are different in size and/or shape from the cavities 516 of the stopper510.

FIGS. 11-13 illustrate an embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturingsystem 700 similar to the manufacturing system 100 described above.Unless otherwise described, like reference numbers (e.g., numbers thatshare the same last two digits) correspond to structures that are thesame or similar in structure and/or function between the systems 100 and700 (e.g., the upper press-stage 702 v. the upper press-stage 102).

As illustrated, the stopper 710 of the semiconductor manufacturingsystem 700 is on the substrate 722. More specifically, the stopper 710is on the first surface 724 of the substrate 722, opposite the secondpress-stage 704. The stopper 710 can be constructed in the same or asimilar manner with same or similar materials to the stopper 110described above. The height of the stopper 710 can be selected such thatthe cumulative height H4 of the stopper 710 and substrate 722 limits theextent to which the first press-stage 702 is able to move toward thesecond press-stage 704 and thereby limits the amount of compressionapplied to the die stacks 730 during a TCB operation. For example, thestopper 710 limits the compressed height H6 (FIG. 12) of the die stacks730 and substrate 722 to reduce or eliminate the squeeze-out problemsdescribed above. As illustrated, the uncompressed height H5 of the diestacks 730 is greater than the cumulative height H4 of the stopper 710and substrate 722, while the compressed height H6 of the die stacks isequal to the height H4.

By positioning the stopper 710 upon the substrate 722, existingmanufacturing systems 700 can be easily retrofitted to use a stoppersystem. For example, since the stopper 710 is on the substrate 722,press-stages 702, 704 limited to receiving the footprint of thesubstrate 722 can still be used without having the change the size ofthe press-stages 702, 704.

In some embodiments, the stopper 710 is configured in the mannerillustrated in FIGS. 11-13 to use the stopper 710 with a wafer substrate722. The wafer substrate 722 can be constructed from silicon or othermaterial. The stopper 710 can be positioned on the wafer substrate 722before starting a TCB operation and before other processing of thewafer. For example, TCB operations using the stopper 710 can beperformed before wafer dicing or other wafer processing.

In some embodiments, using one or more stoppers 710 on one or moresubstrates 722 can facilitate control of compression (e.g., control ofmovement of the press-stages 702, 704 toward each other) for die stacks730 positioned both within cavities 716 of the stoppers 710 and outsideof the cavities 716. More specifically, the compression control providedby the stopper 710 can limit the overall movement of the press-stages702, 704 toward each other, thereby limiting compression of die stackslocated both within the cavity 716 of the stopper 710 and outside thecavity 716 of the stopper. In some embodiments, the stopper 710 can beused to concurrently limit compression of at least ten die stacks, atleast twenty die stacks, at least forty die stacks, at leastseventy-five die stacks, and/or at least one hundred fifty die stacks ina single TCB or other compression operation. FIG. 13 provides a top viewof a semiconductor manufacturing system utilizing a stopper 710positioned on a substrate 722.

FIGS. 14-15 illustrate an embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturingsystem 800 similar to the manufacturing system 100 described above.Unless otherwise described, like reference numbers (e.g., numbers thatshare the same last two digits) correspond to structures that are thesame or similar in structure and/or function between the systems 100 and800 (e.g., the upper press-stage 102 v. the upper press-stage 802). Asillustrated, the cavity 816 of the stopper 810 can be larger than thesubstrate 822, thereby providing a gap 870 between an outer edge (e.g.,as measured parallel to the first surface 824 of the substrate 822) ofthe substrate 822 and an inner edge (e.g., as measured parallel to thefirst surface 812 of the stopper 810) of the cavity 816. In someembodiments, the stopper 810 is used in combination with substrates 822(e.g., wafers) having outer perimeters that are smaller than the innerperimeter of the stopper 810. For example, the stopper 810 may be usedwith wafers that are not yet cut to a precise shape or size.

Similar to the embodiments described above, the die stacks 830 have aninitial height H8 greater than the height H7 of the stopper 810 and acompressed height H9 approximately equal to the height H7 of the stopper810.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 16-17, the stopper can beformed integrally with the first and/or second press-stages. In somesuch embodiments, a stopper (e.g., a lip, ridge, or other structure) isformed on both of the first and second press-stages. In the illustratedembodiment, a cavity 916 is formed in the second (e.g., lower)press-stage 904. The cavity 916 can have a similar size and shape to thecavities in the stopper described above. The cavity 916 can include afloor or surface 960 on which a substrate 922 is configured to rest. Thecavity 916 can be surrounded by a wall (e.g., stopper) 910. In someembodiments, the wall 910 is annular and/or continuous around aperimeter of the cavity 916.

As illustrated, the initial or uncompressed height H11 of the die stacks930 as measured from and perpendicular to the floor 960 is greater thanthe height H10 of the wall 910 as measured from the floor 960. Thecompressed height H12 (e.g., the height at the end of a TCB operation)is equal to or approximately equal to the height H10 of the wall 910.

Any one of the semiconductor devices having the features described above(e.g., with reference to FIGS. 1-17) can be incorporated into any of amyriad of larger and/or more complex systems, a representative exampleof which is system 1000 shown schematically in FIG. 18. The system 1000can include a processor 1002, a memory 1004 (e.g., SRAM, DRAM, flash,and/or other memory devices), input/output devices 1005, and/or othersubsystems or components 1008. The semiconductor dies and semiconductordie assemblies described above can be included in any of the elementsshown in FIG. 18. The resulting system 1000 can be configured to performany of a wide variety of suitable computing, processing, storage,sensing, imaging, and/or other functions. Accordingly, representativeexamples of the system 1000 include, without limitation, computersand/or other data processors, such as desktop computers, laptopcomputers, Internet appliances, hand-held devices (e.g., palm-topcomputers, wearable computers, cellular or mobile phones, personaldigital assistants, music players, etc.), tablets, multi-processorsystems, processor-based or programmable consumer electronics, networkcomputers, and minicomputers. Additional representative examples of thesystem 1000 include lights, cameras, vehicles, etc. With regard to theseand other examples, the system 1000 can be housed in a single unit ordistributed over multiple interconnected units, e.g., through acommunication network. The components of the system 1000 can accordinglyinclude local and/or remote memory storage devices and any of a widevariety of suitable computer-readable media.

The above detailed descriptions of embodiments of the technology are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise formdisclosed above. Although specific embodiments of, and examples for, thetechnology are described above for illustrative purposes, variousequivalent modifications are possible within the scope of thetechnology, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Forexample, while steps are presented in a given order, alternativeembodiments may perform steps in a different order. Moreover, thevarious embodiments described herein may also be combined to providefurther embodiments. Reference herein to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” or similar formulations means that a particular feature,structure, operation, or characteristic described in connection with theembodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the presenttechnology. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or formulations hereinare not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

Certain aspects of the present technology may take the form ofcomputer-executable instructions, including routines executed by acontroller or other data processor. In some embodiments, a controller orother data processor is specifically programmed, configured, and/orconstructed to perform one or more of these computer-executableinstructions. Furthermore, some aspects of the present technology maytake the form of data (e.g., non-transitory data) stored or distributedon computer-readable media, including magnetic or optically readableand/or removable computer discs as well as media distributedelectronically over networks. Accordingly, data structures andtransmissions of data particular to aspects of the present technologyare encompassed within the scope of the present technology. The presenttechnology also encompasses methods of both programmingcomputer-readable media to perform particular steps and executing thesteps.

Moreover, unless the word “or” is expressly limited to mean only asingle item exclusive from the other items in reference to a list of twoor more items, then the use of “or” in such a list is to be interpretedas including (a) any single item in the list, (b) all of the items inthe list, or (c) any combination of the items in the list. Where thecontext permits, singular or plural terms may also include the plural orsingular term, respectively. Additionally, the term “comprising” is usedthroughout to mean including at least the recited feature(s) such thatany greater number of the same feature and/or additional types of otherfeatures are not precluded. Directional terms, such as “upper,” “lower,”“front,” “back,” “vertical,” and “horizontal,” may be used herein toexpress and clarify the relationship between various elements. It shouldbe understood that such terms do not denote absolute orientation.Further, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of thetechnology have been described in the context of those embodiments,other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not allembodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within thescope of the technology. Accordingly, the disclosure and associatedtechnology can encompass other embodiments not expressly shown ordescribed herein.

1-11. (canceled)
 12. A semiconductor manufacturing system comprising: afirst press-stage having a first pressing surface; a second press-stagehaving a second pressing surface facing the first pressing surface; astopper positioned between the first press-stage and the secondpress-stage, the stopper comprising at least one internal cavity; asemiconductor substrate positioned between the first press-stage and thesecond press-stage; a first stack of semiconductor dies connected to thesemiconductor substrate, the first stack of semiconductor diespositioned at least partially within the at least one internal cavity ofthe stopper between the semiconductor substrate and the firstpress-stage; wherein the stopper is configured to limit movement of thefirst and second pressing surfaces toward each other to limitcompression of the first stack of the semiconductor to a desiredthickness.
 13. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 12,wherein the first stack of semiconductor dies comprises a first diepositioned closest to the semiconductor substrate, and a last diepositioned furthest from the semiconductor substrate, and wherein atleast a portion of the last die is positioned beyond the stopper in adirection toward the first pressing surface before movement of the firstand second pressing surfaces toward each other.
 14. The semiconductormanufacturing system of claim 12, wherein the stopper is formedintegrally with the second stage.
 15. The semiconductor manufacturingsystem of claim 12, wherein the stopper comprises a second cavity, thesystem further comprising a second stack of semiconductor dies connectedto a semiconductor substrate and positioned at least partially withinthe second cavity of the stopper.
 16. The semiconductor manufacturingsystem of claim 15, wherein the second stack of semiconductor diescomprises a first die positioned closest to the semiconductor substrateand a last die positioned furthest from the semiconductor substrate, andwherein at least a portion of the last die is positioned beyond thestopper in a direction toward the first pressing surface before movementof the first and second pressing surfaces toward each other.
 17. Thesemiconductor manufacturing system of claim 12, wherein the stopper ispositioned between the semiconductor substrate and the firstpress-stage.
 18. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 12,wherein the stopper has an annular shape.
 19. The semiconductormanufacturing system of claim 12, wherein the first stack ofsemiconductor dies comprises at least a first semiconductor die and asecond semiconductor die, wherein each the first and secondsemiconductor dies comprise: a first surface facing the firstpress-stage; a second surface facing the second press-stage; at leastone through-substrate via (TSV) extending through the first and secondsurfaces of the semiconductor die, the TSV having a first end and asecond end; a conductive pad connected to the first end of at least oneTSV; and a conductive pillar connected to the second end of at least oneTSV.
 20. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 19, wherein theconductive pad of a TSV of the first semiconductor die faces and isspaced from the conductive pillar of a TSV of the second semiconductordie, and wherein a solder ball is positioned in between said conductivepad of the first semiconductor die and said conductive pillar of thesecond semiconductor die.
 21. The semiconductor manufacturing system ofclaim 20, wherein the conductive pad of a TSV of the first semiconductordie is spaced a first distance from the conductive pillar of a TSV ofthe second die when the first and second semiconductor dies are in anuncompressed configuration, and wherein the conductive pad of a TSV ofthe first semiconductor die is spaced a second distance from theconductive pillar of a TSV of the second die when the first and secondsemiconductor dies are compressed in response to movement of one or bothof the first and second press-stages toward each other.
 22. Thesemiconductor manufacturing system of claim 21, wherein the seconddistance is less than the first distance, and wherein the seconddistance is at least 3 μm.